Spokane County, WA Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SCC 46.48A.040
- Scope
- County-owned lots, Courthouse Complex only
- Violation class
- Civil traffic infraction
- Response window
- 30 days (33 if mailed)
- Adopted
- Res. No. 2025-0380, Aug. 12, 2025
- Nonpayment consequence
- DOL notice per RCW 46.16A.120(3)
Summary
In the Spokane County Courthouse Complex parking area and other county-owned lots, SCC 46.48A.040 reserves marked loading zones for authorized commercial vehicles, limiting use to active, expeditious loading and unloading. Violations are civil traffic infractions enforced through the parking manager's citation and fee-schedule process, not a criminal charge.
46.48A.040 - Commercial loading zones. No person shall stop, stand, or park a vehicle except an authorized commercial vehicle or other noncommercial vehicles as authorized by the board of county commissioners in the areas marked as loading zones for any purpose or length of time other than active and expeditious loading and unloading.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 63).
Full Breakdown
040, adopted by Resolution No. 2025-0380 on August 12, 2025, governs loading zones within the Spokane County Courthouse Complex parking area and other Spokane County-owned parking lots: no person may stop, stand, or park a vehicle in an area marked as a loading zone for any purpose other than an authorized commercial vehicle actively and expeditiously loading or unloading, unless the board of county commissioners has authorized a noncommercial vehicle for that zone. 240, which lets the board of county commissioners establish loading zones alongside pay parking, leased parking, fire lanes, and handicapped zones, with the parking manager authorized to adjust boundaries subject to board approval.
210: an officer or county employee who finds an unattended vehicle violating the chapter records its plate and affixes a notice of traffic infraction giving the operator 30 days from issuance (33 days if mailed) to respond. 200 lets a citation's registration-number match to the vehicle's owner serve as prima facie proof that the owner was the one who parked it. This provision reaches only county-owned lots and the courthouse complex; it does not create a general loading-zone rule for streets and private business frontages elsewhere in unincorporated Spokane County, which are not separately codified in the traffic title.
Violations & Fines
SCC 46.48A.190 classifies a loading-zone violation as a traffic infraction, not a criminal offense. SCC 46.48A.230 sets a monetary penalty per the Spokane County parking fees and penalties schedule adopted by the board of county commissioners, with proceeds deposited into the county parking fund. Under SCC 46.48A.220, failing to respond or pay within 30 calendar days of issuance (33 days from mailing) adds further penalties and can trigger a notice to the Department of Licensing under RCW 46.16A.120(3).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rule cover loading zones on public streets countywide?
Who can legally park in a marked loading zone at a county lot?
Is a loading-zone ticket a criminal charge?
What happens if I ignore the citation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spokane County
Compare Spokane County to another location·View the Washington parking rules overview
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